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December 2, 2009

HeadlinesAustralia’s Parliament defeats global warming billUN official calls for funds for climate changeMoves by U.S., China induce India to do its bit on climateGlobal warming threatens China harvestsNew evidence of accelerated Arctic warmingCalif dams to feel impact of climate changeEPA delays decision on ethanol blendThe psychology of climate denialAmerica’s 11 hottest species stressed by climate changePeak oil: Are we scraping the barrel?New film: The story of cap & tradeInvestor brains target "smart" climate financeNews summariesAustralia’s Parliament defeats global warming bill
Australia’s plans for an emissions trading system to combat global
warming were scuttled Wednesday in Parliament, handing a defeat to a
government that had hoped to set an example at international climate
change talks next week. APUN official calls for funds for climate change
Developing countries will need tens of billions of dollars each year to
cope with the effects of climate change such as floods and drought, the
global head of the U.N.’s development arm said. The New York TimesMoves by U.S., China induce India to do its bit on climate
Recent announcements by the United States and China to cut carbon
dioxide emissions are propelling India to make its own commitment to
slow greenhouse gas emissions and go to the upcoming Copenhagen climate
summit with a firm proposal on reductions. The Washington PostGlobal warming threatens China harvests
Droughts and floods stoked by global warming threaten to destabilize
China’s grain production, the nation’s top meteorologist has warned,
urging bigger grain reserves and strict protection of farmland and
water supplies. Extreme weather damage can now cause annual grain
output in China, the world’s biggest grain producer, to fluctuate by
about 10 to 20 percent from longer-term averages. ReutersNew evidence of accelerated Arctic warming
Sponsored team of explorers, scientists find evidence Arctic ice melting
faster than previously thought. VOAUN halts funds to China wind farms
The United Nations body in charge of managing carbon trading has
suspended approvals for dozens of Chinese wind farms amid questions
over the countryâ€™s use of industrial policy to obtain money under the
scheme. Financial TimesCalif dams to feel impact of climate change
California’s hydroelectric facilities could generate considerably less
power over the next 40 years as a result of rising temperatures
associated with climate change, according to a recent study by
researchers at the University of California, Davis. Green Inc.EPA delays decision on ethanol blend
The Environmental Protection Agency said earlier today it will delay
until mid-June a decision on whether to increase the amount of ethanol
allowed to be blended into gasoline to 15% from 10%. Already, the
ethanol industry is chalking it up as a win: the agency all but
foreshadowed a likely approval of higher ethanol content for newer cars
when it cited two recently completed tests favoring the move. Environmental CapitalThe psychology of climate denial
The UN’s panel of climate scientists, in a landmark report, described
the proof of global warming as "unequivocal." That was two years ago,
and since then hundreds of other studies have pointed to an
ever-bleaker future, with a potential loss of life numbering in the
tens of millions, if not more. Yet survey after survey from around
world reveals deep-seated doubt among the public…."There is the
individual reluctance to give up our comfortable lifestyles — to
travel less, consume less," said Anthony Grayling, a philosophy
professor at the University of London and a best-selling author in
Britain. While deeply anchored in the West, this resistance also
extends to emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil where a
burgeoning middle class is only today tasting the fruits of a lifestyle
they have waited so long and worked so hard to obtain. AFPAmerica’s 11 hottest species stressed by climate change
Honeycreepers that sing in Hawaii’s mountain forests, the lynx that
inhabit the snowy Rocky Mountains and New England, and the grizzly
bears of the Rocky mountains are among America’s top 10 threatened
species already suffering from global warming, according to a new
report released today… It focuses on 10 species or groups of related
species that are listed as threatened or endangered under the federal
Endangered Species Act or are candidates for listing. The 11th species,
selected in an online poll, is the polar bear, which is listed as
threatened under the act. The global warming threats to these species
include increased disease, diminished reproduction, lost habitat and
reduced food supply. ENSPeak oil: Are we scraping the barrel?
Crude is still being discovered; existing fields are not being
exploited to the full. So it’s hard to predict the exact point at which
the world’s dwindling reserves will precipitate a crisis. But it’s
coming . The GuardianNew film: The story of cap & trade
The Story of Cap & Trade is a fast-paced, fact-filled look at the
leading climate solution being discussed at Copenhagen and on Capitol
Hill. Host Annie Leonard introduces the energy traders and Wall Street
financiers at the heart of this scheme and reveals the "devils in the
details" in current cap and trade proposals: free permits to big
polluters, fake offsets and distraction from whatâ€™s really required to
tackle the climate crisis. If youâ€™ve heard about cap and trade, but
arenâ€™t sure how it works (or who benefits), this is the film is for
you. Story of StuffInvestor brains target "smart" climate finance
Smart financing can multiply limited public funds to fight climate
change, say investors targeting a financing gap and a major stumbling
block for the world to agree a new climate deal. Reuters